Combined door-holder and hand-rail for railway-cars



. c. E. SIMS. COMBINED DOOR HOLDER AND HAND RAIL FOR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I6, 1919 v Patented N 0v. 2, 1920.

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UNITED STATES CHARLES E. SIMS, OF CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE.

COMBINED DOOR-HOLDER AND HAND-RAIL FOB RAILWAY-CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

Application filed September 16, 1919. Serial No. 324,211.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. SrMs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chattanooga in the county of Hamilton and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Door-Holders and Hand-Rails for Railway-Cars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention is a combined car door holder and hand rail, itsprincipal object being to provide a device which will retain the car door in open position against swinging movement and which will also serve as a hand grip when in operative position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combined door holder and hand rail or grip which may be applied to any car now in use without altering the parts of the same in any way whatsoever.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combined door holder and hand rail which may be swung to one side of the door when not in use and which may be readily swung into engagement with the door to retain the same in open position.

Another general object of the invention is to provide a device of the above character which is simple in construction, consists of a few parts and which can be manufactured and installed at a small cost.

lVith the above and other objects and advantages in mind, the invention consists of the novel combination of elements, construction and arrangement of parts, operation and specific features,all of which will be hereinafter enlarged upon and explicitly delined in the subjoined claims.

On the drawing Figure 1 is a fragmentary view partly in elevation and partly in section of a railway car illustrating my device applied to the door thereof, the full line position indicating the device in operative position, the device being shown in dotted lines swung away from the door to allow the same to close;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the device in operative position, part of the car being shown in cross section.

3 is an enlarged view of the device in inojjierative position, parts being broken away; and

Fig. 4.- is a detail view of the socket and rail supported thereby.

Referring to the drawing in detail wherein like characters of reference designate like parts in all the views the numeral 5 designates a railway car provided with a hinged door 6 disposed in close promixity to the steps designated at 7. The car structure does not form any part of the invention but is shown merely to illustrate the application of my combined door holder and hand rail.

My device comprises a bearing or'tubular supporting member 8 in which the longitudinally curved end of a rod 9 is loosely mounted. This bearing 8 is formed with an annular securing flange 10 which is secured to the car by fastenings 10.

Slidably engaged on the rod 9 is a tube 11 the outer end of which is curved longitudinally in the same direction as the curved end of the rod 9 and is formed with a head 12 at its extremity. The inner end of this tube 11 normally rests upon a shoulder 13 formed on the rod .9 and limits the movement of this tube in one direction. A vertical stem 1 1 extends from the rod 9 and is disposed within the tube 11. Fixed within the tube 11 is an abutment or collar 15 provided with a central opening 16 which receives the stem 14. Encircling the stem 14 and engaging the abutment 15 and a nut 17 on the end of this stem 14 is an expansible coil spring 18, the function of which is to urge the tube 11 into engagement with the shoulder 18.

Mounted on the car 5 directly above the bearing 8 is an outstanding casting 1 9, the outer end of which is formed with a U- shaped socket 20 having its upper end open to permit the head 12 of the tube 11 to be inserted in the socket to support the rod and tube in a vertical position as shown in Figs.

1 and 8. A casting 21 is mounted upon the car 5 in horizontal alinement with the bearing 8 and adjacent to the hinged edge of the door 6 and is adapted to retain the tube and rod in horizontal position to retain the door in open position as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

From the disclosure it will be manifest that the device is normally arranged in a horizontal position across the door when in open position and prevents the door from swinging, and that it constitutes a hand rail when in such positioin When it is desired The construction shown and described is a practical embodiment of the invention but it will be understood that the same may be modified in many respects, and'that such limits of modification are only governed by what is claimed.

What is claimed is:

1; In a combined door holder and hand rail, a pair of telescoped rod sections, one end of one of the sections being mounted for pivotal movement adjacent the door, a slotted member supported in horizontal alinement with the point of pivotal connection of the pivoted section and adapted to engage the end of the remaining section to retain'the hand rail in horizontal position to bridge the door to retain the latter against swinging movement, and a second slotted member disposed to one side of the door for engaging the end of said section to retain the rail in-vertical position.

2. In a combined door holder and hand rail, a rod having one end thereof pivotally mounted adjacent the door to permit the rail to be swung to either a horizontal position to overlie the door or to a vertical position to one side of the door, and means for retaining the rail in such position.

3. In a device of the character described, a pair of telescoped rod sections, one of which having one end thereofmounted for pivotal movement adjacent the door to be held, resilient means normally urging the free section towardthe pivoted end of the pivoted section, a socket supported above the point of pivotal connection ofthe pivoted section and adapted to engage the free end of the slidable section to retain the same in vertical position, the rail being adapted 4. In a'device of the character described, a.

rod having one end thereof laterally extended and mounted for pivotal movement adjacent the door to be held, a tube slidably engaged on the rod and having its outer end extending laterally and terminating in a head, a spring operatively engaging the rod and tube to normally urge the tube toward the pivoted end of the rod, a socket disposed above the point of pivotal connection of the rod adapted to receive the head to retain the rod and tube in vertical position, and a second socket disposed adjacent one edge of the door adapted to receive the head to retain the rod and tube in position to over lie the door to retain the same in open position. I

The combination with a swinging door, of a pair of telescoped rod sections, one or which having one end thereof mounted for pivotal movement adjacent one of the vertical edges of the door, a stem carried by one of the sections and disposed within the other, an abutment fixed within the latter section and slidably receiving the stem, an expansible coil sprin encircling the stem and having its outer end engaged with the stem and its opposite end bearing against the abutment and urging'free section toward the hinged end of the hinged section, and slotted members supported upon opposite sides of the door for engagement with the free section to retain the rail either in a horizontal position across the door or in a vertical position to one side of the door.

6. In a device of the character described, a bearing-adapted to be mounted adjacent one edge of a swinging door, a rod having one end thereof laterally extended and rotatably mounted in the'bearing, a tube slidably engaged on. the rod,.a shoulder on the rod to limit the movement of the tube in one direction, acoil spring. urging the tube into engagement with the shoulder, a head formed on the outer end. of the tube, and bi i urcated'sockets arranged at the opposite vertical edges, of the door, one of which being engageable with the head to support the rod and tube in a vertical position, and the other being adapted to engagethe head to retain said members in a horizontal position across the door.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

onanrns E. sins Witnesses: I

WM, F. DAVIDSON, BENNETT SJJonns. 

